this week

Intel’s 4th generation “Haswell” processor to make formal debut at Computex, June 3rd

In just 3,337,200,000,000,000 nanoseconds, the 4th generation Core Processor, known as Haswell, from Intel will make its appearance at Computex. To be fair, Computex is held in Taiwan, so it will be June 4th Taiwan time.

This new line of CPUs will power laptops, ultrabooks and other portable devices. In fact, Intel has already started shipping the new silicon to OEMs.

Haswell is promised to bring a significant boost in performance will being as much as 41% more power efficient. That means great things are in store for the Computex event as well as new hardware that will be making its way to market as early as this summer. It is possible we may get a glimpse of what Microsoft has in mind with Windows Blue around this time as well so this could be a super-sized event.

The first Haswell chips will be quad-core units for higher-end laptops, but the power efficiency of these CPUs all but guarantees that we will see them in ultra-books and smaller laptops. It is also expected that Google’s Pixel Chromebook will adopt the Haswell chip.

  

ARM CEO: by 2014, mobile devices will be powerful but consume less energy

According to ARM CEO Warren East, his company's big.LITTLE technology is going to lead to more powerful mobile devices using less battery power starting next year. East, who is hanging up his pinstripes at the end of the year, lauded Samsung for getting the big.LITTLE technology out in some versions of the Samsung Galaxy S4. The international model that has the octa-core Samsung Exynos 5 processor will include the system which pairs a powerful processor with a smaller one. For power-intensive tasks like gaming, the powerful silicon is used. For light housekeeping, the phone drops down to the less power hungry model, which saves battery life.

East said that he has 17 partners licensing the big.LITTLE technology including the Korean based Samsung."I'm not surprised that Samsung managed to get a big.LITTLE phone to market this year because they are a very capable, determined outfit and there is a lot of marketing kudos in being first to market." But he believes that 2014 will be the big year for ARM.

The executive expects to see demand for computing power expand 30 times over the next decade but sees battery capacity only having to double over the same time period. The company licenses its IP to customers and East says that ARM succeeds by talking to customers and its customers' cusatomers to better serve the markets it covers. He also noted that doing the right thing doesn't always mean moving in a straight line. "Take big.LITTLE for instance: we introduced the A9 processor then the A15 and then A7. It's a bit like rock climbing, you don't take all your limbs off the wall at the same time," East said.

Microsoft’s Next Xbox to be Revealed on May 21st, 2013

Just think, in less than a month’s time, Microsoft will give us a reason to call the next Xbox something other than the Xbox 720. That might just be better news than anything they could possibly reveal at their upcoming showcase.
Both Game Informer and Kotaku have now confirmed that Microsoft is sending out invitations to select members of the press for their next Xbox unveiling. The presentation is set for 10am on May 21st, 2013 at Microsoft’s Redmond headquarters.

Nokia Set to Unveil New Lumia in London on May 14 

Nokia just sent out press invites for an event that will occur in London at 10a.m. local time and will last until 4p.m. That’s quite a lengthy event, and the company promises that it will share the “next chapter of the Lumia story” during the event. It also slightly hid the text of “see what’s next” in the invite.
That certainly suggests at least one product announcement is going to happen, possibly more. There are several possibilities, including the unveiling of a quad-core EOS Windows Phone destined to AT&T with a 41-megapixel camera sensor, the Lumia 928 for Verizon or the highly rumored all aluminum Catwalk handset.

Vine for Android Coming Soon 

Vine launched for iOS on January 24 as a Twitter product that allows users to take quick 6.5 second snapshots of the life around them and upload them to Twitter. Users can follow one another on the service, too, and like or comment on the often artistic little snapshots of our lives. Vine was sweetened up a bit more in March when Twitter made it even easier to embed video clips on websites with different border options. Now Vine is about to reach an even larger audience.
The company told The Verge recently that an Android version is coming soon, but didn’t say exactly when we can expect it to hit the Google Play store. The iOS application will also receive an update that will allow Vine users to tag friends inside video clips, and the company said that the update has already been submitted to Apple for approval into iTunes.
We’re looking forward to seeing what other sorts of features Twitter has in mind for Vine down the road, and certainly can’t wait for its debut on Android.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 going into mass production in late May

Qualcomm’s new high-end chip, the Snapdragon 800, expected to land in tablets and smartphones, will enter mass production in May, according to Qualcomm senior PM Yufei Wang.
Qualcomm did not specify which exact devices will feature it, but of course it’s likely that we will see the chip in high-end devices.
The Snapdragon 800 is the next step of the evolution of Qualcomm’s chips, an improvement over the Snapdragon 600 that is now part of the best performing devices on the market today. The HTC One, Samsung Galaxy S4 and LG Optimus G Pro all use the Snapdragon 600 with its Krait 300 processor.
In Snapdragon 800, we have a pretty dramatic bump up in performance. The chip features a quad-core Krait 400 processor clocked at up to 2.3GHz. The new Krait 400 processor comes with enhanced memory interface, with 2x32 LPDDR3 memory interface, lower latency to the main memory and quicker L2 cache.
It also features the new Adreno 330 GPU bringing a nearly 50% improvement in graphics performance over Adreno 320, and nearly doubling compute performance.
It support 4K HD video capture and playback at 30fps. It also supports cameras of up to 55 megapixels.
The new chip will be manufactured using 28nm HPm, which is the High-K + Metal Gate process, with optimized power output at maximum loads. This is a departure from the standard 28nm LP manufacturing process used until now.

Android notebooks are coming soon, to cost as low as $200

Android notebooks are coming up soon and they will push the envelope in notebook pricing down to as low as $200, according to Dadi perlmutter, Intel executive VP and chief product officer.
Intel chief executive just last week said that touchscreen computers could launch in the coming months for prices of around $200.
While it was not clear what kind of software those machine would run on, it is now confirmed that the majority will be Android devices running on an intel atom silicon. As to Windows 8 notebooks at those price points, their arrival depends a lot on Microsoft’s decisions.

"We have a good technology that enables a very cost-effective price point," Perlmutter said. Windows 8 laptop pricing "depends on how Microsoft prices Windows 8. It may be a slightly higher price point."
Intel expects convertible tablet/notebook form factors to pick up quickly in the near future and thePC market in general to accelerate in the second half of the year.
Intel also said it is ready to ship multimode LTE-packing processors by mid-year, and this is a type of chips Qualcomm for instance has offered long ago, which granted it head space in the mobile space. In 2014 Intel will bring a mobile chip with LTE integrated with the application processor.

Water and dust resistant Sony Xperia ZR is in the works

Xperiablog got some information that Sony will soon announce and launch the Xperia ZR smartphone with a 720p display, a quad-core processor and a 13MP camera.
The Sony Xperia ZR will share lots of features with the Xperia Z flagship - a quad-core 1.5GHz processor (Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset), 2GB of RAM and a 13MP Exmor RS camera. Impressively, the Xperia ZR will be and even better protected, featuring IP58 rating for resistance under 1.5 meters of water for prolonged time. It will be dust proof too.
The Sony Xperia ZR 720p screen will reportedly measure 4.6" in diagonal, its internal memory will be 8GB, while the battery will have 2300mAh capacity. The Xperia ZR is rumored to be 10mm thick and to weigh 140 grams. Also we can expect the shell to be similar to the Xperia ZL one rather than the dual-glass Xperia Z body.
If this info is indeed true we guess the official announcement should happen soon.

 

 

LG Optimus G Pro for AT&T image and specs leak out

With less than a week left until its scheduled unveiling, the full specifications of the LG Optimus G Pro for AT&T emerged, together with a press image. The handset will go official next week, on May 1st, at an event in New York City.

The specifications of the US bound LG flagship are mostly in line with those of its Korean sibling which we extensively reviewed. They include quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 chipset, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of built-in memory, microSD card slot, and a 13MP main camera.
Curiously however, the US version of the LG Optimus will sport a Full HD IPS display panel, as opposed to a True HD-IPS+ one in its Korean sibling. Naturally, the US version will support different bands in order to play nice with AT&T's LTE network.
Software-wise, the AT&T LG Optimus G Pro will ship with Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, enhanced by the usual host of LG software tricks. AT&T's own additions are said to be kept to a minimum.
We will be live from the US LG Optimus G Pro's unveiling next week, so be sure to tune in for the full scoop on the device.

Dual-SIM Samsung Galaxy S4 Duos launches with Exynos 5 Octa chip

The Samsung Galaxy S4 Duos is the dual-SIM version of Samsung’s 2013 flagship and it has now gone on sale in Asia under the Samsung I9502 model name. Overall, the single biggest difference from the standard S4 model is the inclusion of two SIM cards slots, it is otherwise almost completely identical to the international Galaxy S4.
The Galaxy S4 Duos features the same gorgeous 5-inch 1080p full HD Super AMOLED screen and runs on an Exynos 5 Octa chip with each of the cores clocked at 1.6GHz.

Otherwise, here is a quick rundown of the technical specs of the S4 Duos:

• 5” 1080 x 1920 Super AMOLED screen
• Exynos 5 Octa @ 1.6GHz
• PowerVR SGX 544MP3 graphics with 2GB of RAM
• 13-megapixel camera recording 1080p videos at 30fps 
• 2.1-megapixel front camera
• Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean with Samsung’s new TouchWiz UX 2.0 
• Samsung’s Smart Features: Smart Stay, Smart Pause, Smart Scroll and Smart Pause, Air Gestures, S Voice, S Health and S Translator.

Samsung has also launched another Galaxy S4 model for China, the I9506, running on the Snapdragon 600 processor and with TD-SCDMA 3G connectivity.

Dell introduces XPS 10 Windows RT tablet with 4G LTE connectivityDell’s

XPS 10 running Windows RT has been available since the launch of Windows RT last October. Like all the other Windows RT tablets out there, its connectivity relied solely on Wi-Fi networks with no cellular connectivity options. Today, Dell announced the option of adding 4G LTE connectivity for the XPS 10 line of tablets, with service provided by AT&T.Customers can activate the service quickly and easily, right from the tablet if they choose. AT&T has a $10 per month data add-on feature or a stand-alone $30 per month data plan. People that want to buy the LTE equipped XPS 10 have to opt for the 64GB model. That, along with the LTE radio bring the initial retail price to $599. Dell offers some additional savings for those that order the mobile keyboard dock to go with their tablet, bringing the total to $750. Dell brings a feature that is lacking from the other Windows RT tablets to the XPS 10. The wireless integration should be seamless too as it is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU and Qualcomm is known for solid LTE integration with its chipsets. While it may seem a bit pricey, remember that it is a tablet with a keyboard dock, undercutting a 64GB LTE equipped apple ipad by $80 and it is only $50 more expensive than a Wi-Fi only version of the same iPad. If you forgo the keyboard dock altogether, you are saving over $200 versus a similarly equipped iPad.Granted, there are some distinct differences, most notably the display.  However, given what most people use tablets for, and the fact that you get Office and OneNote in the deal, it is worthy of consideration.

Oppo unveils 6.9mm thin mid-ranger, the R809T

Earlier this month a there was a rumor that Oppo is working on a 6.1mm thick smartphone, the R809T. Well, that phone is now official in China, but it’s thicker than that – at 6.93mm it's quite slim but can't beat the Oppo Find (6.65mm).


The Oppo R809T sits somewhere between the Find 5 flagship and the Find in terms of specs. It boasts a quad-core 1.2GHz processor with 1GB of RAM, runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, a 4.7” 720p in-cell screen, an 8MP main camera and a 2MP secondary camera with an 88° field of view.
There’s no launch date or price for the Oppo R809 just yet.

LG will announce a smartphone with flexible display before year's end

Sooner or later, a phone with flexible screen will launch on the market – that is pretty much imminent. After all, we have two of the biggest players on the market – Samsung and LG, working on that as we write these very lines. Which one of them will introduce such a device first, however, is something we cannot give a definite answer yet, although it seems like the latter will be ready with its offering before 2013 is out.

In fact, LG is promising that it will announce a smartphone with a flexible screen in Q4 of this year. Word comes from Yoon Bu-hyun – vice president of mobile at LG, who said that his team was developing one in partnership with LG Display. The screen will be made using OLED technology, according to the report.

Note that while this LG smartphone will have a flexible display, the handset itself won't bend or anything like that. The rigid circuitry and battery inside it will surely make that impossible. Instead, chances are that we'll see a handset with screen that wraps around the edges – perhaps something that closely resembles one of these Samsung prototypes that were shown off earlier this year. 

In the meantime, Samsung is planning on launching a phone with flexible OLED screen as well, but its launch might have been delayed.

The never-released WinsorNot webOS phone finally comes to light

HP purchased webOS with the intention of bringing it back from the ashes of Palm, but that never really worked out. HP only released a few devices running webOS, the most popular of which was the Touchpad tablet, and the Touchpad only got popular when the price dropped to $99 and it was purchased in bulk by Android hackers. But, it seems that HP did have plans for another webOS phone after the Pre 3 and the Veer. It was codenamed WinsorNot and images of the never-released phone have finally come out.

The WinsorNot was a device named after a previously cancelled device which was codenamed Winsor (clever, eh?) and was designed to be released in late 2011, after the Pre 3 came out. The WinsorNot was very similar to the Pre 3, with the same internals and a similar slider design, but with a larger 4" display and webOS 3.x. The trouble was that webOS 3.x wasn't exactly optimized for phones, and was more of a shrunk down version of the tablet OS. HP didn't have the resources to develop everything in the pipeline (Pre 3, Veer, Touchpad, and Touchpad Go) so the WinsorNot was scrapped. 

Adding to the troubles for the WinsorNot is that if HP had decided to go forward with the device, it likely would have slipped to 2012, a time when AT&T wanted to focus on LTE, which the WinsorNot couldn't handle. So, it disappeared into the smartphone sunset. For a much much more in-depth version of the story, hit the source

Intel-powered Lenovo Ideaphone K900 goes on sale on May 6

The Lenovo Ideaphone K900 is one of the more interesting Android smartphones that will appear in the first half of the year. What makes it so intriguing is not only the intel atom processor, but also the premium and appealing metal body design that differs vastly from the image of the typical Android smartphone.

Scheduled to go on sale on May 6, the K900 will be equipped with not feature any of the numerous ARM-based processors around, but will instead be equipped with Intel's dual-core Atom Z2580 Clover Trail+, clocked at 2 GHz. We really doubt it that Lenovo will be able to squeeze more power from this processor compared to the better ARM solutions available, so we guess this move is supposed to attract attention to the product, rather than add some form of value.

Anyways, we've tested the phone on a few occasions and it ran just fine. It's also very cool-looking, although quite big, due to the rectangular shape and gigantic, 5.5" 1080p display. So, yes, this should technically be considered a 'phablet', if 'phablet' could really be considered a technical term...

The bad news here is that the Lenovo Ideaphone K900 will likely remain in China, at least initially. We're not aware of any specific plans by Lenovo to bring the K900 to other markets like Europe, but let's keep our fingers crossed and see what happens!

Samsung Galaxy Note III might feature an OLED display made from plastic substrate

The next generation Galaxy Note phablet has been doing the rounds in Rumorland for quite some time now and according to the latest speculations, it might feature an OLED display, made from a plastic substrate.

Samsung Galaxy Note III is expected to feature a 5.99″ OLED screen, which with conventional RGB matrix (as opposed to PenTile), along with the Full HD resolution. The OLED display with the plastic substrate will be much thinner and lighter than that of the conventional LCD or OLED. The thickness of the plastic display is only about 0.5mm when compared to that of LCD’s 3.2 mm and OLED’s 1.5mm
The plastic display weighs only about 50 grams, whereas the LCD displays of this size weigh about 150 grams and OLED screens weigh about 100grams. Furthermore, the plastic screens are much harder to break, when compared to their glass alternatives.

The latest OLED displays with the plastic substrate will surely help Samsung to reduce the thickness of its third-gen phablet and will eventually allow the company to produce smartphones with curved displays.

New Windows Phone 8 devices appear in server log, including one from Samsung

There has been a fair amount of chatter recently about Samsung and its support or lack of support for windows phone, but if we're to believe the server log from a popular wallpaper app, Samsung may be getting ready to release a new Windows Phone 8 device. The log also includes a few other interesting devices.

The log comes from Chinese app Love Wallpaper HD, and shows one device from Huawei (H889L), one from Samsung (SCH-I930), and two from Nokia (RM-860_nam_usa_100 & RM-877_nam_att_205). Since Huawei doesn't have too many devices in the pipeline, it's assumed that the device shown here is the Ascend W2. It's unclear what any of these model numbers might actually point to though.

The closest model number in Samsung's book is the GT-i19300, which is the Galaxy S III. The model numbers in Samsung's WP lineup don't help at all with the Ativ S codenamed GT-I8705, and Aive Odyssey is SGH-T900M. Then obviously the Nokia devices are destined for the US, but there's no way to tell what they might be. Perhaps one is the Lumia 928, and one is the rumored Catwalk, but we can't say for sure.

Nokia Asha 210 goes official

Today Nokia unveiled the latest addition to its Asha lineup. The QWERTY-packing Nokia Asha 210 featurephone comes in both single SIM and dual-SIM flavors and brings entry level functionality at an extremely attractive price point.

Nokia Asha 210 single SIM version
Combining a 2.4" LCD screen of QVGA resolution (320 x 240 pixels) with a four-row full QWERTY keyboard, the Nokia Asha 210 is targeted at younger users that do lots of texting and have a limited budget.
Nokia Asha 210 is the first handset to feature a dedicated WhatsApp button, which gives you quick access to the instant messing app that comes preinstalled.
The Asha 210 comes with Wi-Fi connectivity and a dedicated Wi-Fi on/off hardware toggle. Sadly the feature phone lacks any fast cellular network support like 3G or LTE, settling for dual-band GPRS/EDGE. Local connectivity is covered by microUSB and Bluetooth.
The Nokia Asha 210 offers a 2 megapixel camera at the back, but there's no front-facing snapper. The handset has a 3.5mm audio jack and while its internal memory is limited to just 64MB, there's a microSD card slot for expanding it by up to 32GB.

Nokia Asha 210 dual SIM version
The dual-SIM version will also come with support for Easy Swap, meaning you can exchange the secondary SIM without powering off the handset.
The Nokia Asha 210 is going to be available in yellow, cyan, black, magenta, and white when it goes on sale (sometime in this quarter). The estimated retail price for the Nokia Asha 210 is around $72.

First Firefox OS phones available now, designed for developers

The two phones are made by Geeksphone, which is a young Spanish manufacturer established in 2009. The cheaper of the two, called Keon, sports a pretty modest 3.5" HVGA screen, 3 MP camera and an aging Snapdragon S1 processor clocked at 1GHz. However, the handset retails for $119, so the low-end specs are justified. The other smartphone, called Peak, is designed to be much more powerful, as it comes with a bigger, 4.3" qHD IPS display, dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor clocked at 1.2 GHz, and an 8MP camera. The Peak can be purchased for $194 off contract.
The makers of Firefox OS are initially targeting developing markets like China and India, which explains the relatively modest characteristics of the first Firefox handsets. Moreover, the Keon and Peak are meant to be developer phones, so users might want to wait a bit more before going for it.
Unfortunately, both handsets are currently listed "Out of stock" at Geeksphone's website, so even developers will have to wait until they can get their hands on one. If you want to try your luck, just head through the source link below, which will take you to Geeksphone's online store.

Geeksphone Keon	Geeksphone Peak

this week

HTC M4 arriving in June with 'metal-alloy chassis

The HTC M4, HTC’s second device that is expected to be a revision of the HTC One, will be made out of a metal-alloy chassis and the supplier has already been selected. HTC has selected Catcher Technology as the exclusive provider for the chassis in order to avoid supply problems like the ones it had with the HTC One.

The HTC M4 is expected to start shipping in June with wider availability in the third quarter of the year. But HTC is aiming to ship 700 000 devices in the second quarter as well.

Getting a large order like the one for the HTC M4 is a win for Catcher and the supplier forecasts a 10.5% to 15% sequentially growth in revenue in Q2 2013. It is also expected to ship 2.3-2.4 million units of the HTC One in the second quarter.

BlackBerry OS 10.1 available to developers, here are the changes it brings

BlackBerry OS 10.1 is the first big update to the recently released overhaul to the BlackBerry platform and it is already available to developers. Those who have a BlackBerry Z10, a Dev Alpha B or Dev Alpha C devices can now try out the new version of the operating system and see how their apps work on it.

Some of those who are using it have already starting making a list of all the new options BlackBerry OS 10.1 brings to the table, and while we’ve heard about some of them earlier, here is a richer feature list of everything new that’s coming:

• HDR option for photos
• PIN to PIN messaging in BlackBerry Hub
• APN editing is enabled
• 'Highlights’ for text are now green, instead of blue
• 'Text Picker' easily moves left and right between letters
• Sharing menu is now black like on the BlackBerry Q10
• New help demos and walkthroughs added
• You can now ‘Select All’ for broadcast messages
• You can now turn off alerts for specific applications
• Easier checks for updates in BlackBerry World
• Power button can unlock a phone directly
• Coupon redemption feature in BlackBerry World
• Paste phone numbers into dialpad
• Installed apps can be opened from with BlackBerry World

We for once are happy to see the HDR option for photos, and everything rest goes for a nice polish to the system but nothing major, what is your favorite new feature in this update?

Nokia Phablet Phone this year, similar in size to Galaxy Note but more advanced? EOS 40MP to have July launch?

Came across this story on ft.com whilst looking up stories about today’s Q1 2013 results. They discuss a Nokia phablet (phone/tablet merge) that is supposedly later this year. The size is said to be about the same size as the Galaxy Note but will be more advanced (Galaxy Note or Note II? Also is this size as in foot print or size as in Screen? We all now how much Nokia loves her Bezels, haha). It’s about time, no? As we said before, we don’t just want a bigger Lumia. We want something that takes advantage of that screen realty.
Although Apple’s largest phone is ‘only’ 4″, ft is right in claiming that Nokia is yet to move into the larger screened device market. They also mention a July launch for EOS

Dual-SIM Micromax Canvas A111 leaks online, pricing unknown

Micromax, the Indian brand best known for its cheap, but powerful A116 Canvas HD smartphone, has just had its latest mid-range Canvas A111 handset leaked.
In a series of tweets, Twitter user MMXNewscaster has showcased the Canvas A111 from the front and back, while also sharing some of its key specifications.

Apparently, the A111 is built around a 5.3" display of qHD resolution (960 x 540 pixels). The leak suggests that the touchscreen is going to be usable even with gloves on, like many high-end Android smartphone out there.
At the back, there's an 8MP camera capable of shooting full HD video and is backed up by dual-LEDs; a 1.2MP camera is at the front. According to the leak, the Canvas A111 profile is just under 10mm (9.9mm to be precise) and packs a 2100mAh battery. Android 4.1 Jelly Bean is at the driver's seat as well.

As you can tell by the photo above, the Canvas A111 is a dual-SIM phone and has support for microSD cards to expand its internal memory, which for now remains unknown. Pricing and availability are still anyone's guess, but the smartphone is said to hit India in the coming weeks.

ZTE N988 is a 5.7" Jelly Bean droid possibly powered by Tegra 4

ZTE is looking to expand its portfolio with a new huge device, according to a leaked image from China. Codenamed N988 the smartphone is said to be running on Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, has a mammoth-sized 5.7" display of 1280 x 720 pixel resolution, 2 GB of RAM and could be running on either a Snapdragon or Tegra 4 chipset.


The front-facing camera is a 2 MP unit while the back one is said to sport a 13 MP sensor. There's Bluetooth, microSD card slot, FM Radio, GPS - the usual suspects.
The N988 will reportedly have a 6.9 mm waistline and weigh just 110 g. The body appears to utilize a unibody construction as there are two covers on the right side for the SIM and microSD card.
Finally the device allegedly was approved by the Telecommunication Equipment Certification Center MIIT in China. There's no word on either pricing, availability or the official name just yet.

Allwinner launches A20 SoC: world’s first dual-core A7 chip

If you ever looked at the Chinese Android market, you have probably heard about AllWinner. The chip maker holds a large portion of the local market, and has just released its new AllWinner A20 chip, the world’s first dual-core Cortex A7 silicon. The A20 will continue pushing the affordability boundaries and promises to deliver five times the energy efficiency and 50% of a power boost compared to Cortex A8 chips.

Along the two A7 cores works a dual-core Mali 400MP2 graphical unit. The chip is capable of playing back 1080p video at 30 frames per second and can capture 720p videos at 60 frames per second. The chip supports

It works with Android 4.1 and 4.2, and integrates an HDMI transmitter, LVDS interface, and integrated TV decoder.

The release of the chip means that we’ll soon start seeing the first Android devices based on it, and judging from MediaTek’s recent success, we wouldn’t be surprised if AllWinner also starts having international ambitions soon.

Jolla to announce first device in May? Pre-Order for “special edition” variant

Jolla will announce its smartphone at beginning of May. Pre-order fees will work as funding and in exchange those who pre-order get to choose the looks of their phone. There are several levels of pre-order fees. At beginning of May we will get to know what first phone looks like and how it works.
We’ve been following Jolla rather closely here at the blog, both as they’re ex-Nokians and since they are building on the efforts of the N9. Thanks to a tip and translation by one of our readers Otto, we have exciting news.
Jolla is said to be announcing their first device next month. Antti Saarnio, Jolla Chairman has said their “phone will represent modern Scandinavian design”. What this exactly means, I have no idea, other than assuming its in reference to their partnership with a Scandinavian industrial design team, who worked alongside Nokia on many devices.
Jolla is reportedly going to begin pre-orders from mid-May, in order to start generating hype and provide eager fans with the opportunity to join a specific “club”. Apparently, the devices that get pre-ordered will come with “something unique”; “something special…that will not be available otherwise”.
“We want Jolla to be a movement. We want to involve fans already in early phases. Fans make sure that phone will be available and fans will be first ones to get their phones” said Saarnio.
We know Jolla doesn’t have a huge budget, hence this is most likely to be used as crowd-sourced funding as well as a marketing tactic. Either way, the prospect of having a limited edition device is awesome! It is reportedly going to be like many crowd-funded startups; certain tier “payments” provide certain benefits. Apparently the more you pay, the more unique the device you get. Especially for someone like me who wants a Jolla device anyway.

Pantech Vega Iron goes official with 5-inch full HD display

Pantech has officially announced its Vega Iron smartphone with 1080p display in South Korea. The latest addition to the 1080p club will be available from KT, LG U+ and SK Telecom in the upcoming days and unfortunately, there is no official confirmation on its pricing just yet.


Pantech Vega Iron comes out with a 5" 1080p display and features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 chipset with 1.7GHz quad-core Krait 400 CPU, 2GB of RAM, 13 megapixel rear camera, 32 GB inbuilt memory with microSD support up to 64 GB and the latest connectivity options.
In addition to its powerful specifications, the Vega Iron impresses with it super thin bezels. The smartphone has a screen-to-surface aspect ratio of 75.5%, with its bezels measuring just 2.4mm on either side of the screen.
The Vega Iron is powered by Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean and the device runs on a relatively small 2,150mAh battery. Pantech Vega Iron will be competing against the likes of HTC Butterfly, HTC One, Sony Xperia Z, Sony Xperia ZL and Samsung Galaxy S4.

Nokia’s Aluminum Bodied Catwalk Surfaced?

What we’re looking is supposedly the first ever pictures of Nokia’s lightweight answer to the Lumia 920; the catwalk, an aluminum bodied device that brings a fresh change on the fabula design. All I can say is I hope not; in my opinion this is one of the ugliest things to grace the internet; it reminds me of Huawei’s windows phone (yeah I forgot they had one as well):

Interestingly it seems to have a uni-body design without the wireless charging internals, instead it has the same 3 pin connector on the back that we see on the Lumia 720; obviously a weight cutting measure. Also note the re-positioned micro USB port at the top of the device, which would make this the first WP8 to NOT have a micro USB port at the bottom.

Microsoft’s Smartwatch Has Been in Development for Over a Year 

Microsoft might not just be toying with the idea of building a smartwatch, but may already be well along in the development process. The Wall Street Journal said earlier this week that Microsoft is working on a smartwatch with a 1.5-inch display and now The Verge says it has learned that Microsoft’s Xbox team has already spent a year developing a prototype. The watch will allegedly employ a wristband that attaches to the watch face using a magnetic mechanism that’s capable of transmitting power and data, The Verge said.
Microsoft isn’t the only company planning to enter into the smartwatch wars. Samsung, Apple and Google all reportedly have similar devices coming down the pipeline. The ultimate question that remains to be answered is how they will benefit consumers. Will smartwatches simply serve as notification windows into our smartphones, or will they provide a unique experience that adds real value to our wrists?

This Chinese phone has a 1080p screen, quad-core processor, costs $230

Zopo is a smartphone manufacturer that you've surely never heard of. That's because its products – Android handsets that have a suspicious resemblance to Samsung, LG, and HTC devices, are tailored for the Asian market. Then why are we even bothering to write about a lesser known company like this? Well, it's because their latest smartphone is a bit different from the rest.

Before we even get to its hardware specs, we have to point out that the Zopo C2 runs Aliyun OS, which is a Linux-based system "inspired" by Android. Well, a little too inspired, maybe, since Google itself blocked the launch of an Aliyun OS smartphone back in 2012. And it had its reasons for the system was built upon key Android components without permission. How the argument between Google and the new platform's creators has been solved isn't quite clear.

What's pretty clear, on the other hand, is that the Zopo C2 boasts some droolworthy specs despite being priced at about $230. There's a 5-inch 1080p screen on its front, made using LTPS technology. Inside it runs a MediaTek MT6589 quad-core chip, clocked at 1.2GHz and paired with 1GB of RAM. A 13-megapixel camera with f/2.2 aperture rests on the smartphone's back while a 5 (yes, five) megapixel front-facing cam is placed above the screen for fabulous self-shots. Moreover, there are 4GB of storage, a microSD card slot, a removable 2000mAh battery, and a Yamaha audio chip. All of that goodness is packed inside a body that's only 8.5 millimeters thick.

Latest video of Windows 8.1 in action goes over new tweaks and improvements

Wondering if the "Start" button will ever return to Windows? Well, looks like that isn't going to happen, or at least not in the upcoming version of the popular operating system. Actually, not a whole lot seems to have changed in Windows 8.1, which has just been leaked in an early form. There are a few improvements, however, that should be pointed out.

As you'll see in this video of Windows 8.1 build 9369 in action, the apps list can now be accessed by clicking on a new button located in the lower right-hand corner of the Start screen – a minor tweak that users on non-touchscreen devices will appreciate. And speaking of the apps list, the apps can be organized depending on how often they're being used. So for example while the most frequently used apps will appear at the beginning of the list, the ones that are barely ever opened will be listed last. 

Furthermore, the UI has undergone some changes, and we're not only talking about new transitions and animations. The multitasking interface, in particular, now allows the screen to be divided in half while the user can pick the side of the screen where they want each additional app window to be placed. Also, the Files application, which is used to browse through the computer's storage from within the Modern interface, has been fused together with the SkyDrive app. 

There's even more improvements coming with the new Windows 8.1 update so check them out in the video below. And in case you're wondering when the new software version is coming out, a public beta should be out by the end of June.

Samsung Galaxy S4 mini user agent profile confirms qHD screen

The Samsung Galaxy S4 mini has been tentatively confirmed by two official sources – Samsung SVP Lee Keon Hyok and Samsung’s support page. We can add one more to the list, the User Agent profile.
The profile confirms the qHD (540 x 960 pixels) resolution of the screen, which is 4.3" in diagonal according to rumors, working out to 256ppi. It’s most likely going to be a Super AMOLED screen, so here’s hoping it’s not the same PenTile unit used in the Motorola RAZR i or the HTC One S.
That’s all the info we can tease out of the profile, but the rumored specs of the Galaxy S4 mini include an 8MP camera, 1.6GHz dual-core processor (possibly a Cortex-A15 packing Exynos 5250 like in the Galaxy Megas), Android 4.2.2 and latest TouchWiz. Versions with LTE and dual-SIM should be available too.

 

 

Samsung allegedly working on a 10-inch tablet with 299ppi display

Samsung is allegedly working on a 10" tablet, which has been codenamed Roma. If latest rumors are to be trusted, the Samsung Roma will essentially be a TouchWiz version of the Nexus 10. The slate is said to come out with microSD card slot for memory expansion and 4G LTE support.


Samsung Roma is rumored to sport a 10.1" display with 2560 x 1600 pixels, making up for pixel density of 299ppi. The tablet will feature a 1.7 GHz Dual-core Exynos 5 processor along with 2 GB of RAM, 5 megapixel rear camera, 1.9 megapixel front camera, 16 GB inbuilt memory with microSD support up to 128GB and latest connectivity options.
The 10" slate allegedly measures 257x177.7x 8.4mm and weighs about 583g. Samsung Roma will run on the latest Android 4.2 Jelly Bean OS and the juice for the slate will be provided by a 9,000mAh battery.
Unfortunately, there is no official confirmation from Samsung yet, but the device is rumored to go official pretty soon.

Windows 8.1 may have a 'boot to desktop' option

The new Windows 8 is very cool and modern, but there's just one problem with it - it seems to be favoring consumers a bit more. While it's not that hard to understand why this is so, it could have been useful if Microsoft had left some options in there to allow professional users, or simply those who aren't into the new Modern UI, to set the traditional desktop home screen as the default UI for their device.

In addition, many are also complaining of the absence of the traditional Star Menu, but while it isn't known if this one is going to return, there may actually be a chance for us to enjoy the good old desktop UI without always having to go through the process of booting into Modern UI and then making the switch. While some enterprising devs were examining the twinui.dll file in a build of the upcoming Windows 8.1, they found some pieces of code hinting at the possibility of setting the desktop UI as the default home screen. What's more, The Verge also reports that Microsoft is currently testing the feature.

While the Modern UI is easily the much more comfortable one when it comes to touchscreen devices, this isn't really true as far as non-touchscreen PCs and notebooks go. That is why it would be much-appreciated if users are given the option to boot directly into the standard desktop mode.

A leaked Samsung prototype does not hint at a new design language

The leak of the day comes courtesy of popular Twitter channel evleaks, which has gained a serious reputation for its reliable photo leaks in the past.
This time, however, even the author behind the account is not sure about what the image means and suggests it may be showing a new design language, which will be adopted by Samsung in the near future.
Now, we would be the first to cheer a move away from the pebble-inspired design language that has penetrated the whole Samsung mobile portfolio and is getting quite boring already.
However, this is hardly the case. We've seen devices like this before (a pre-release Note 2 being the last one) and it's nothing but a shell, meant to conceal the final design until the product is properly announced.
So even though we wish these photos were showing a real product with a fresh new design language, this time it's more like a case (literally) of misunderstanding.
So move along people, nothing to see here.

Apple iPhone 6 concept: 4.5 inch screen, no home button

Concept Apple iPhone 6 (R) has a larger screen but a smaller body than the Apple iPhone 5

Designer Ran Avni has released a video showing off his concept of what the Apple iPhone 6 will look like. Actually, it looks a lot like the Apple iPhone 5 although the screen has been stretched from 4 inches to 4.5 inches. It also is thinner with a smaller body than the iPhone 5 as the removal of the home button allows him to add extra real estate to the screen and make the overall phone smaller. The body of the phone is displayed in black and in aluminum.

The next iteration of the Apple iPhone is expected to come to market some time this year. One recent rumor has the phone being introduced at a special event on June 20th with a launch taking place a few weeks later. A low-cost version of the Apple iPhone, said to be coming to emerging markets, is expected to launch in July according to the speculation. Last week, Topeka Capital Market analyst Brian White said that his meetings with a "tech-supply chain company" has led him to expect the next iteration of the iPhone to be offered with two screen size options.

Firefox OS due to launch in June in limited regions

This year is expected to bring a number of new entries to the mobile ecosystem which has been dominated by Android (in numbers), and iOS (in media visibility). Ubuntu Phone and Tizen are expected to launch later in the year, but the first new addition will be one that we haven't really seen much of: Firefox OS. And, new word says that Firefox OS will launch in June in select regions.

According to Mozilla CEO Gary Kovacs who spoke at the AllThingsD Dive Into Mobile conference today, Firefox OS will launch this summer, starting in Brazil, Colombia, Hungary, Mexico, Montenegro, Poland, Serbia, Spain, and Venezuela. As you can see from that list, Mozilla is still focusing on a number of emerging markets for its launch. 

Kovacs said that the rollout plan would work something like a beta test, and once the OS ecosystem had been built up more, Firefox OS would launch in the US. Sprint has already gone on record saying it would be open to supporting the new platform.

HTC 606w with UltraPixel camera gets certification in China

The rumor mill has been expecting an UltraPixel-packing mid-ranger, dubbed HTC M4, and an approval from the Telecommunication Equipment Certification Centre in China confirms its existence. It looks similar to the HTC One with two speakers on the front, but the camera on the back looks different.
This phone, which goes by as HTC 606w, packs a 4.3” 720p screen and is powered by a Snapdragon 400 chipset, featuring two Krait 200 cores, 1GB of RAM and Adreno 305 GPU, likely the exact same chipset as the one in the HTC First. The phone runs Android 4.1.2 with Sense 5 on top like the HTC One (it has just two capacitive buttons on the front too).


Of course, the headline feature is the UltraPixel camera on the back. Unfortunately, not much is known about it at the moment – the resolution will likely be the same as on the One, but the HTC 606w being a mid-range model might omit the Optical Image Stabilization. The front-facing camera has 1.6MP resolution.
Other known specs on the HTC 606w include 16GB of built-in storage (no word on microSD), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS + GLONASS and dual-SIM support.
We’ll have to wait until the official announcement for more info on the camera, but the HTC 606w should be hitting the Chinese market soon. We should also see some version of this phone, the M4 perhaps, hit western markets in spring if the rumors are to be believed.

this week

Nvidia shows off Tegra 5 running Battlefield, bashes iPad for its “vintage 1999” graphics 

Nvidia has some huge plans for the future and it has just shown what mobile graphics will look like when the Tegra 5 (codenamed Logan) with their Kepler GPU arrives. In an extremely impressive demo Nvidia’s chief executive Jen-Hsun Huang showed Kepler powering a fully functional Battlefield game.Huang went back and forth between the upcoming Tegra 5 and the latest iPad’s A6X chip which right now has the best graphics in an ARM-based mobile device that we know of. The difference was staggering and enough for Huang to bash it for having “vintage 1999” graphics.The Kepler graphics support DirectX 11 and handled themselves very well with high-dynamic range lighting and active shadows in the Battlefield demo.“We want to get multiple years ahead of the competition,” Huang said. “It was worth the sacrifice.”
Let’s remember, though, that there is still a year until the Nvidia Tegra 5 arrives as even the first Tegra 4-based devices are not out yet. But if we get to play Battlefield and games alike, the patience would definitely be hugely rewarded.

TSMC kicks off 16nm FinFET manufacturing in 2013, to test EUV at 10nm in 2015

TSMC has confirmed its plans to aggressively pursue 16nm FinFET chip manufacturing by the end of 2013, and it also expects extreme UV lithography to allow it to make 10nm silicon in late 2015.

TSMC is the world’s largest semiconductor foundry, but is facing competition from Globalfoundries and Samsung. Led by 50-year silicon veteran Morris Chang, TSMC still expects growth in the teens this year while other fabless companies forecast 9% growth in 2013.

“It looks like we have another 7 to 8 years ahead in advances -- maybe more -- we can see in technology down to 10 and even 7nm,” said the TSMC CEO Chang.

“Moore’s Law is going to go on and we will be there -- if anyone pursues it, we will pursue it,” he told an audience of several hundred chip designers .

Nokia's PR2.0 update for Lumia models brings 'always-on' clock to the screen and more?

With a firmware update said to be coming for Nokia's Windows Phone 8 Lumia models, some of the features have leaked out. The update is expected to bring an optional 'always-on' clock for the screen. Another new feature is expected to be 'double tap to awake' which is probably one of the easiest ways to awaken a sleeping handset. You might recall that the Nokia N9 offered the same awakening technique.

A new firmware update is expected to bring an always-on clock to Nokia's WP8 Lumia phones

Some other features being mentioned include a new lens option called Smart Camera that offers similar features to Smart Shoot, but will include Nokia's version of Blink. Blink takes a quick burst of shots just before you completely depress the shutter, and just after you snap a picture, allowing you to find the perfect shot.

We have no idea when this firmware update is coming, but it apparently will be another way to differentiate Nokia from the other Windows Phone manufacturers.

Huawei EDGE future flagship leaks out surprising us with gorgeous looks and aluminum body

Chinese manufacturers have long stood for their capacity to blast away affordable devices that might perform well but come with sub-par quality and uninspiring design. That has been the cliche, and Huawei seems to have had enough of it.

The Huawei EDGE that has just leaked out is a gorgeous extremely slim aluminum Android flagship device with a curved back.

The Huawei EDGE will only measure 6.3mm thick and this will make it one of the slimmest (if not the slimmest) devices on the market.

The Edge packs some noteworthy specs: a 4.9-inch 1080 x 1920 pixel display, a quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM and a 13-megapixel camera. The handset will be sold in a 16GB and 32GB versions and will run on the latest Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.

In that slim device, Huawei has somehow managed to cram in a capable 2600mAh battery as well.

The Huawei Edge is expected to become the company’s flagship when it launches in the second half of the year. Here timing will be key (and the device is not yet official of course), but it definitely seems that more and more companies are finally starting to realize the importance of good design, and that can only be good news.

Microsoft said to be working on a 7-inch Surface tablet

We have reported in the past that Microsoft is allegedly working on a 7-inch gaming tablet under the Xbox brand. It seems, though, there will be another 7-inch tablet from Microsoft in the near future.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Microsoft is working on a 7-inch version of the Surface tablet. There are no other details available about this product at this time, including which version of Windows it would be running and what would be the specifications, pricing and release date. WSJ does say, however, that the tablet will go into mass production later this year.
A 7-inch version of the Surface does make a lot of sense and to be honest should have been there from the start (the current Surface running Windows RT could have been a 7-inch tablet instead of 10-incher). The Surface has so far received a lukewarm response from customers but a cheaper, smaller Surface might change tha

1080p screen support coming to Windows Phone later this year

As the saying goes, better late than never! Anonymous sources have told The Verge that microsoft windows phone operating system will finally get support for 1080p screen resolutions. That is supposed to happen before 2013 is out with the launch of the third General Distribution Release update for the platform. 

Manufacturers of Windows Phone hardware are expected to release 5-inch 1080p smartphones once the new software is available, but higher (or maybe smaller) screen sizes offering that same resolution aren't out of the question. If all goes as planned, this next batch of Windows Phone 8 flagship devices should hit the shelves in time for the Holiday season.

The GDR3 update to Windows Phone 8 is also expected to add support for Qualcomm's new quad-core Snapdragon SoCs – the same ones that already power Android high-ends, such as the HTC One or one of the Samsung Galaxy S4 variants. As a side note, HTC originally planned to launch a 4.7-inch WP8 handset with a quad-core chip, codenamed Zenith, but eventually scrapped it due to the lack of display resolution support beyond 1280 by 768 pixels.

As for that rumored "Windows Blue" update, allegedly meant to bring all Windows OSes under one roof, that's supposed to come in early 2014, according to the same source. A specific launch date for it has not been set in stone at this time.

Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 with 5.8-inch qHD display, 1.4 GHz dual-core processor, Android 4.2 announced

Samsung has also announced the Mega 5.8 along with the Galaxy Mega 6.3 in their new Galaxy Mega line. The Galaxy Mega 5.8 has a 5.8-inch qHD (960 x 540 pixels) TFT capacitive touch screen display, powered by a 1.4 GHz dual-core processor and runs on Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean). It has a 8MP auto-focus rear camera with LED Flash and a 1.9 MP front-facing camera. similar to the Galaxy Mega 6.3. It also has dual SIM support with dual Standby and dual SIM Always On feature.


Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 specifications

• 5.8-inch qHD (960 x 540 pixels) TFT capacitive touch screen display
• 1.4 GHz dual-core processor
• Android 4.2 Jelly Bean OS
• 8MP auto-focus rear camera with LED Flash
• 1.9 MP front-facing camera
• Dual SIM (GSM + GSM) with dual standby
• 9.0 mm thick and weighs 182 grams
• 1.5 GB RAM, 8 Internal Memory, expandable memory up to 64GB with micro SD
• 3G HSPA＋21Mbps, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, WiFi Direct, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS＋GLONASS
• 2600 mAh battery

The Galaxy Mega 5.8 would be available globally starting from Europe and Russia in May 2013. No word on pricing yet.

Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 with 6.3-inch HD display, 1.7 GHz dual-core processor, Android 4.2 announced

• Samsung has finally announced the rumored Galaxy Mega line of smartphones. The Galaxy Mega 6.3 is the high-end device in this series that has a 6.3-inch HD ( 1280 x 720 pixels) TFT capacitive touch screen display, powered by a 1.7 GHz dual-core processor and runs on Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean). It has a 8MP auto-focus rear camera with LED Flash and a 1.9 MP front-facing camera. This phone lies between the 5.5-inch Galaxy Note 2 and the 7-inch Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 / Galaxy Tab 2 310. Huawei unveiled the Ascend Mate with a 6.1-inch HD display at CES 2013 earlier this year.
  
  Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 specifications
  
• 6.3-inch HD ( 1280 x 720 pixels)  TFT capacitive touch screen display
• 1.7 GHz dual-core processor
• Android 4.2 Jelly Bean OS
• 8MP auto-focus rear camera with LED Flash
• 1.9 MP front-facing camera
• 7.9mm thick and weighs 199 grams
• 1.5 GB RAM, 8/16GB Internal Memory, expandable memory up to 64GB with micro SD
• 4G LTE 100/50Mbps, 3G  HSPA＋21Mbps, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, WiFi Direct, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS＋GLONASS, NFC, MHL
• 3200 mAh battery

The Galaxy Mega 6.3 would be available globally starting from Europe and Russia in May 2013. No word on pricing yet.

T-Mobile announces Nokia Lumia 521, coming in May

T-Mobile has just officially unveiled the Nokia Lumia 521 coming exclusively to the carrier in May and it is the most affordable way to get Windows Phone 8. The Lumia 521 is priced at only $180 off contract and still brings brings a 4-inch screen, Nokia’s free HERE Maps offline navigation and the free Nokia Music Mix Radio service.

The Lumia 521 is a slightly modified Lumia 520 rebranded with the T-Mobile logo. The device features a 1GHz dual-core processor and 512MB of RAM, a configuration that allows it to run most apps on the Windows Phone Marketplace (the cheap Lumia 610 in contrast could not run Skype).

The Nokia Lumia 521 comes with 8GB of internal storage, expandable via microSD cards, and it supports cellular data speeds of 21Mbps HSPA+.

The handset is coming in May at Walmart, T-Mobile and Microsoft retail stores.

Patent Details Nokia tablet Equipped With Kickstand and Keyboard; Beat Microsoft to it

• Nokia have been toying with tablet designs and concepts for a while now, everybody knows this; but nobody knows exactly what or when it’s coming. A recently unveiled patent application shows a Nokia tablet concept with a keyboard and a kickstand that “envelopes” the device (which matches the rumors we’ve heard before). The patent application was filed before Microsoft unveiled its surface tablet; which has its now iconic flip out kickstand (which seems to be  the only feature they’re capable of marketing).
  There are rumors on the interwebs that Nokia had a hand in designing the Surface with Microsoft, or at least some part in “inspiring it”; given strength by Microsoft’s choice of colors for the tablet’s clip on covers (Cyan, Magenta and black). Of course there is no proof of that, but certainly is intriguing.
  

  Oppo building world’s thinnest, 6.13mm phone: quad-core and coming on April 26

  Leaked image of the Oppo R809T

  Oppo is already proud to have once built the world’s thinnest smartphone, but leaks have shown it is preparing an even slimmer device. The Oppo R809T will measure only 6.13mm or 0.24 inches thin, and it is said to be a quad-core device coming in just two weeks, on April 26th.
  Oppo built the Find 3 that became the world’s thinnest at its time but was later outdone by devices from Alcatel and Vivo measuring around 6.5mm.
  The Oppo R809T in contrast is noticeably slimmer. It is also expected to run on the quad-core Mediatek MT6589 chip with 1GB RAM and have a 4.5-inch 720p display. That sounds like a good balance between performance and features, as a 1080p display would probably choke the MediaTek chip.
  Pricing will be slightly higher than most other Chinese smartphones though as Oppo plans to ask 2500 yuan or around $403 off contract. In comparison to other devices from manufacturers like Samsung and Apple that still looks fairly cheap, though.

  Analyst: 2 to 3 different screen sizes for the Apple iPhone 5S?

  
  If Topeka Capital Markets' Brian White is right, those looking to purchase the next version of the Apple iPhone 5S will be able to decide from 2 or 3 different sized displays. White recently met with a "tech-supply chain company," and perhaps something was said in that meeting to make the analyst believe that multiple screens will be available for the Apple iPhone 5S. White told his clients on Tuesday, that he believes that Apple has come to the conclusion that a "one size screen fits all" approach doesn't work any longer.
  
  

  Will we see a 4.8 inch Apple iPhone like the rumored iPhone Math?

  The analyst didn't say what the screen sizes will be for the Apple iPhone 5S. From the OG Apple iPhone through the Apple iPhone 4S, the display was 3.5 inches. The Motorola DROID brought its 3.7 inch glass to the market late in 2009 at about the same time that the  HTC HD2 took the screen for a smartphone over the 4 inch line with a 4.3 inch display. Last September, Apple increased the size of its screen to 4 inches with the Apple iPhone 5 although it still puts Apple well behind Android models that offer screens as large as 6.1 inches.
  
  White, like his fellow analysts, is looking for Apple to offer a low-priced version of the iPhone. But unlike some who are calling for a price south of $200 for such a model, White doesn't see Apple pricing the low-cost model under $300 for a device that would be sold unsubsidized in emerging markets like China.
  
  If Apple is going to fight back against Android, realizing that one size does not fit all is the first positive step that the Cupertino based firm can take.
  

  Panasonic launches LUMIX GF6 mirrorless interchangeable lens camera

  Panasonic has launched the new LUMIX GF6, a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. The GF6 has a 16 megapixel sensor with a new Venus Engine that can shoot up to ISO 26,000 and can record videos at 1080i60.
  
  The GF6 has built-in Wi-Fi and NFC. The Wi-Fi can be used to transfer images and playback content on a DLNA compatible television. The NFC helps connect the camera over Wi-Fi to compatible devices with just a tap. There is also built-in GPS for geo-tagging your photos. On the back is a 1040k dot articulating touchscreen LCD.
  No price or release date has been announced so far.
  

  ASUS 7 inch MeMo Pad launches in the U.S. for $149.99

  
  Back in February, we passed along a video that showed off features of the ASUS 7 inch MeMo Pad. For example, ASUS Studio lets you use your finger to edit and tag your pictures. Buddy Buzz does what it sounds like, which is to track all of your social networks in one location. My Painter lets you become an artist on the fly, and if you need to write a note or are in the mood to doodle, SuperNote Lite lets you type, write or scribble anywhere, anytime. And with WebStorage Online Office, you can create, edit, view and share office files.
  
  

  The 16GB ASUS 7 inch MeMo Pad is just $149.99 in the U.S.

  The ASUS 7 inch MeMo Pad is another in a long list of 7 inch low priced Android tablets. At $149.99, the slab actually comes in $50 cheaper than the ASUS manufactured Google Nexus 7. But you really can't compare the two slates to each other because the Google Nexus 7 uses a quad-core 1.2GHz processor versus the single-core 1GHz processor on the cheaper MeMo Pad. The Google Nexus 7 also has a higher resolution screen.
  
  The ASUS 7 inch MeMo tablet is filled with 16GB of native storage and can be purchased in the U.S. at places like GameStop, and Amazon. An 8GB variant of the tablet at an even lower price is not available in the U.S. and at this point, there is no sign that it will ever touch down in the states. Android 4.1 is installed on the device, right out of the box.